Those Roads of Hardship
by YinYangWhiteTiger
Summary: Sasuke:This cannot be happening! I must avenge my family! I will not be put down by some inferior! ::Rock Lee:I… can never be a… ninja, ever again?::::SasuxLee::: Semi-AU:Vol.20 Chapter: 174


**AN:**_Vol.20 Chapter: 174_ **That were the story takes place! Semi-AU**

**PS: I wish I knew where the hell Rock Lee went DX!! And please tell me how Itachi get's rid of Occhimaru's cursed mark?  
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**Summary:**_**This cannot be happening! I must avenge my family! I will not be put down by some inferior!**__ I… can never be a… ninja, ever again? _**:**_**Sasu**_/_Lee_**:**

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**Chapter 01****: **_The hollow feelings of defeat…_

In the hospital on the bed under the covers sat a black raven hair boy with dark brown eyes look at his lap, while beside him sat a pink hair girl with green eyes was humming happily while she peeled the apple's skin. The boy was none other than Sasuke Uchiha, while beside him was his teammate Sakura Haruhi. Sakura was oblivious as Sasuke stared emotionlessly as his thoughts floated through him.

_His brother eyes as he looked inside of Sasuke…shadows began to hid his eyes as he spoke "Your weakness……that arrives from your deficiency of you__r hatred"_

"Tsk…" Sasuke said at the thought as his face became a bit more angry. He slowly turned to his teammate that was almost finished peeling off the apple and smiled at him as she notice him… as he could do was stare somewhat hollowly as he remembered her words…

_They were on top of the roof as her face became gentle and sincere… the wind pasted by them as he hair moved with the wind she said oh so gentle and gratefully "Thank you Sasuke, it was you who saved me fr__om the Hand of sand, wasn't it?" He looked at her in surprised and said "No… it was Naruto who saved you." _

_He looked at her before he turned away as he spoke __as imagines of Naruto crossed his mind "To save you, Naruto fought using all of his power……Showing a power of energy that he'd never shown before."_

"…" 'Naruto…' thought Sasuke _as memories of multiple Naruto clones going at Gaara… _"…" His face tighten up again as_ Naruto summoned a giant Toad_

"…" The memories of the battle between of Gaara and Naruto were too unbearably! How… How could some like _him_ be able to do such thing, that he couldn't even do yet?!

Sasuke's face turned angry to furious but went unnoticed as a happy and kind voice of Sakura said "Sasuke, here's the apple." As she move the plat of cut peeled apples towards him, he glared at no-one in frustration he threw his hand up and hit the plat away only hearing it break into many pieces "Sasuke…" Said uncertain and scared voice. Sasuke couldn't and wouldn't dare looking at her… how could he'd been so weak?!

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In the halls of the hospital walked a boy with black bowl haircut with big eyebrows and dark brown eyes walked in defeat with his clutches as went to nowhere…He wore a ninja spandex suit unlike many other ninjas which made him very noticeable other than his eyebrows.

He was complete sorrowed with what he had heard moments before _"I'm saying it for your wellbeing; stop being a Ninja…"Tsunade said in a deep voice _continuing to walk the halls, he remembered; _"I'm the only one who can do the operation but… there's a 50/50 percent that… you can die."_

'That's the risk… but what point am I being here if…? If… I can't be a ninja?!' Lee thought as he felt like crying but…

What could he do? He continued to walk in till he ended up passing a hallway and heard a crash, stopping in his clutches he went to see what it was… it was out of pure curiosity but he could of easily ignored the thing as well but as he continued to walk towards the open door… what he saw was; Sakura looking at Sasuke who was looking at the window.

His dear Sakura was worried for Sasuke, whom only just gain conscious , Lee didn't know whether to feel jealous or worried at the scenery or idea of what he just thought.

Growling Lee said "What have you've done, Sasuke?! Look at what Sakura made for you?! And look at what you do; you throw it away as if she gave you dog food!" Sasuke ignored him while Sakura turned to him with a look of surprised, but with the look of sorrow and irritation. Lee gulped as he continued to limp towards Sasuke's bed, somewhat afraid of what the Uchiha boy could do to him in this state. The boy ignored him, as-if he wasn't of any importance, Sakura moved a little away to let Lee closer to him as they stood/walked in silence.

"Well?! Aren't you going to say sorry?!" Lee commanded Sakura looked down as the corner of her eyes could see where her plates and apples were thrown as they were smash on the floor.

"Lee…" Sakura whispered sadly but Lee couldn't ignore such action done to his Sakura whom need just much respect as anyone else. He began to put one of his clutches in his left arm as he began to grab Sasuke with his right and said "Look at me!" Sasuke turned but with eyes full of hatred and spited out very cold and furiously "Let. Me. Go…"

His eyes turned to his Shiringan but Lee couldn't care less… He had no reason to be afraid anymore, he wasn't going to continue to be a ninja anyway… Lee bite his lip as he stop himself from hitting Sasuke, Sakura's precious boy… but he couldn't contain the hatred and sorrow he felt towards himself and use it against Sasuke… He knew what he was doing but he felt like he was doing something right anyway… how dare he?! HOW DARE HE?! Treat his precious Sakura as if it were a pathetic, disgusting and horrifying animal.

Sasuke glared even harder as his eyes became harder and narrowed and said again "Let…Me…GO!" as he grabbed Lee's arm and pushed him but Lee was able to move his clutch to his other arm just in time before he lost complete balance. Sasuke scoffed and said "What were you planning to do?! Hit me with your clutches?" Lee glared at him and before he knew it, they all heard footsteps of that belonging to no other than Naruto as he walked in silence trying to understand what was happening.

He continued to walk forward and asked "What happen?" Sasuke looked away, seemingly frustrated but didn't seem to have the energy to care. Sakura laugh a little (a laughter filled with nervousness) and said "Naruto… let's go out for a walk." Naruto looked like he wanted to protest and find out what exactly happen but Sakura scurried away taking Naruto in her arms as they walked off doing something strange.

Rock Lee frowned as they walked away but he turned back to Sasuke who looked between tired, upset and mad. Lee didn't want to stay, he had his own problems to deal with but still… it was his fault for coming at all in the first place.

He sigh as he began to sit down on the chair Sakura was probably on before. They stayed in silence… both pondering their own things and finally Lee asked "What's with you, Sasuke?" Sasuke "hn" as he shrugged Lee's question off. Unbothered by this Lee began to talk "I wish I had a lily with me…" Silence was the only thing he heard.

Sighing again he continued "You want to know why? Well… I either die or become a ninja again." Sasuke slightly titled his head towards Lee but Lee didn't take any notice as he continued "Those injures that Gaara gave me are pretty bad… yep, hah… all my life I've dream to be a full compatible ninja, only comes to an end and barely half-way through… and now I either stop completely being a ninja or die trying…" Lee just said out of his own self-pity… at that moment only had Lee felt so hopeless as he cried in front of his Rival, Sasuke Uchiha of team 7.

Still in silence Sasuke bite his lip as he looked away again before saying in a low voice "How am I suppose to get revenge, if I can't even beat that idiot?" Lee looked up, was he talking about the Uchiha Massacre? It was only natural that Sasuke wanted to make his brother pay for his suffering… but who was the idiot? Naruto? Maybe he was finally to get somewhere with Sasuke…

Silence filled the air again…. Before he continued;

"I hate him!" He said frustrated as his fist hit the table beside him, smashing it almost till it looked it couldn't stand anymore. "How can I ever hope to revenge my clan if I can't even beat a simple weak, idiot like him?!" Sasuke said in a perturbed voice as his eyes became his Shiringan again. The features of Sasuke face was that of pure and blind hatred but after a while… the hatred on his face slowly disappeared into that of a lost person, with no idea of what to do… hollow and semi-closed.

Rock Lee could only frowned and said… "Well…I can't say I've ever been in your place… but what would the whole point fighting your friends, when you can actually be happy?" Sasuke eyes turned on him, challenging him to say something more.

Rock Lee waved his hands in defense and said "I'm not saying you shouldn't continue your revenge!" he started to put his hands together and laid his head on top and continued "I'm just saying that…. What's the point? What's the point in pushing anyone away, when I'm sure that…" He scratched his head while Sasuke just stared in a less colder glare and finished "They would follow you to the very end. Naruto and Sakura care for you very much… I'm sure they would help, if you only asked them too."

Sasuke and Lee sat there, looking at each other… both in a challenging way but in a silent agreement… Then becoming (slightly) relaxed Sasuke dropped his back onto the bed looking at the ceiling and asked "What are you going to do now?"

Lee smiled heartedly and said "Well… I don't know… I've got a lot of things to think about. What do you think I should do?" Sasuke turned his eyes slowly towards the Taijutsu Ninja and said "That's up to you… I'm not going to have anymore guilty conscience on me…" As he turned his body the other way. Rock Lee blinked and stated "Have you've ever talked this with you teammates?" Moving his head up a little and looking confused (or as much as one can say confused for the Uchiha) and asked "What way?"

Shaking his head and getting his Clutches Rock Lee began to get up and leave saying "Never mind… I've got to go Sasuke! Get well." Hearing the door close Sasuke laid in bed and began to close his eyes.

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Rock Lee continued to walk to the place to where everything began… He was disheartened but he was also relieved. Sadly though is that… Nothing… Nothing he did had proven people he was just as strong if not any stronger then any ninjutsu or genjutsu ninja out there. When he arrived what he saw surprised him… Gai was standing there looking at the sky and Rock Lee couldn't help but smile and cry as the memories of him and Gai first meeting as teacher and student, when Team Gai was formed.

"I was wondering when you'd arrived" Gai started as he turned to Rock Lee and said giving his typical bright smiles "I was beginning to worry I didn't know you anymore!"

Still crying and smiling between sorrow and happiness, Rock Lee asked as he stumbled towards Gai "Why… Why does this always happen to me?! What should I do…? I… I-I just don't know anymore…" Gai frowned as he thought of what had happen and how hard Rock Lee had trained in the past before smiling and giving his thumbs up closing his eyes saying;

"You've always worked your hardest to be accepted by the group and if this is the thousandth time that something can go wrong, I'll die with you! And when I met you, I've taught you all I've known of the way of the ninja, making you the best ninja out there! It's a promise!" Then said as Rock Lee looked down "Anyway… we're both stupid enough to not be able to live… without the way of the ninja…" Tears leaked down Rock Lee's face as he remembered all he tried to become a great Ninja… he wouldn't know what to do either without their ways of the ninja.

"MASTER GAI!!" Cried out Lee and his jump onto Gai crying his heart out as Gai looked at his smiling and said "Let's go…" As Lee continued to cry.

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**AN: If anything seems out of OOC please tell… The ending I'm not happy about but at lest I tried my best.**

**Please R****&****R…. It doesn't take much.**


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